A Civic Ecology project that has radically transformed the old city centre of the Southern Brazilian city of Curitiba.

In the old centre of Curitiba city there has been something very powerful happening over the last year… Citizens are starting to Re-imagine and Re-create the city. It has all happened in a tiny corner of an old street, a space less than 40 square meters, that was derelict and boarded up for 20 years, but now has gone through an amazing transformation. Not only has it changed this little corner, it has changed the street, in has changed the city, but most of all it has changed the public’s perception on how urban change happens. This is the story of Curitiba’s Cyclists pocket square, or the “Praça de bolso do ciclista“, as it is knows in Portuguese.

2014 was a great year, arriving to Brazil to start a new chapter in this fantastic adventure. There was much learned, some fantastic experiences, making new friends and making a new life… It was not all easy, but “Vale o pena”, it was worth the hassle / pain…

2015 has started very positively, our “Food Loop” project is continuing and I have started working in Terra Fértil, a wonderful little stall in the Organic Food section of the mercado municipal, the first of its kind in Brazil, nearly 6 years old. Meeting wonderful people and making a positive environmental and socially just impact for Brazil and the world. Call in sometime and say hello or get a home box delivery of lovely scrumptious and healthy goodies for you and your family… Were box 511, in the far corner.

This weekend we are launching the CURITIBA ECO CITY TOURS, 4 FREE tours over the weekend. The first tour is the architectural bike tour on Friday, we leave at 2pm. You can see the poster below and the tour has been posted as a facebook event. There is also a facebook page for the tours: Curitiba Eco City Tours.

See below for outline of all the tours and related information. If you are able to join us for any of the tours it would be great. Please feel free to share this information to your friends and other architectural and ecological networks in the city.

In 3 days time the people of Scotland will be voting in a referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country. A year ago most people and the polls said the YES side (those wanting full independence) had not a hope, but a week ago the YES group went ahead in the polls for the first time. Now it seems as if it is going to be a very close call, on friday morning we will know what is Scotland’s destiny..

Im hoping Scotland will vote YES and with that, break away from the Union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This democratically elected act would act as a catalyst to further political change in the “British Isles”… Perhaps soon we might see the statelet of “Northern Ireland” also leaving the UK and joining its southern chunk of landmass, the “Republic of Ireland” to form a United Ireland. Also, If Scotland votes yes, it prompts very interesting questions for Spain, will it lead to Catalunya and the Basque country leaving the Spanish union? To Britains democratic credit, at least they are allowing the Scots to make up their own minds on the matter, back in Spain there is no such openess with Madrid still forbiding the Catalans to carry out a similar referendum on the 9th of November. Interesting times in Europe.

A week ago (Saturday 6th September) the YES side edged ahead in the polls for the first time, following its continued rise… in the excellent documentary “Scotland Yet: a film about independence” one can see why this is the case… On the YES side an amazing culture is growing, including art, dialogue, dreaming and vision… it has opened up a collective dialogue about what sort of country the people really wish to live in. It seems to have been a spark, far more than what has been portrayed by the other side… It seems more people are swinging to YES, they have hope and have dropped fear, they are PARTICIPATING in the collective process… This is what democracy should be about, an open invitation for all to share in the processs of making the world they wish to live in… Great to see.

More and more of the radical / progressive groups from England, Ireland, Wales and further afield are also supporting YES, in the hope that if and when it happens, that the spirit of HOPE bursts beyond Scotland, that the passion takes hold in more communities, where normal people start to take control of their own lives and destiny… That they start to engage in the creative process of making spaces and systems that allows their dreams to shape the reality..

This is a very special time, perhaps even the end of a very dark chapter in British and European history, that of moving from the politics of fear and apathy to one of passion, creativity and hope….